Season 11: Tess's Perspective
by Sarah918
Summary: Tess Mercer survived from Lex's stabbing. Now she wants revenge. But she also has a reporter on her tail... Meanwhile, another girl is on a mission to discover her origins, that seems very dark. Little girls should know that some doors are remained to be unopened... ClarkXLois, ChloeXOliver
1. Chapter 1: Escape

**AN 1: Hey guys, I'm new to fanfiction. I read, but i didn't upload a story. Ever. okay, so here's my first try. Please read and lemme know how you feel about it. This first chapter is full of angst, but don't worry, the following chappies will contain some humor and great loads of adventure. Romance too, who knows? Alright, lemme know then.**

**AN 2: Okay, so about this story; I've always liked Tess Mercer. She is a strong character in Smallville. Well, my favorite character is Lois lane, what with her motor mouth and witty comebacks, but I've always had a soft spot for Tess. This chapter starts after the Season 10 finale. I opt to think that somehow Tess got saved. **

**Alrighty, babble over, keep reading!**

Chapter One

When she opened her eyes, there was a bright light that blinded her instantly. She closed her eyes once again, trying to ignore the pain that ran through her whole body. She was in pain, her whole body was burning. She wanted to scream, but couldn't move her mouth.

She moved her head as flashbacks ran in front of her eyelids. A laugh, an evil laugh. Family, that is not important. Friends, champagne, a big old Victorian house. Rain, thunder. Bright light. Bright…. Bright light.

She finally tuned her ear to her own heartbeat. The rhythm that made her alive. That thunder. She could hear voices around her. They were saying words such as 'surgery' and 'operation'. Then a different voice, female, asking her to stay alive. They need her. Blonde hair, green eyes. She blacked out again.

When Tess Mercer woke up again, she saw that everything was back to normal. She was in a hospital bed, all alone, hooked up to an IV. She blinked her eyes furiously trying to place what happened. She couldn't remember. But with all those flashbacks, she felt as if she had died, and was brought back to life.

A knife, a bloody knife flashed before her eyes, and Tess gasped. She was holding a hand over her stomach, as if by habit. She touched her stomach through the hospital gown. It felt weird. Since she was all alone, she had to manage on her own. She sat up on the bed, and put her legs down. Slowly taking off the IV drip, cringing at the sudden pain, she stumbled off the bed, but almost fell on her knees.

Her stomach was aching. As if it was burning. As if somebody had driven a knife through it. Family. Tess didn't understand the sudden flashbacks. She was gasping and was tired. She held on to the bed and slowly started to stand up. Testing her legs, she slowly walked to the closet, looking suspiciously at the glass of water on the table. It looked evil.

Leaning against the wall, she opened the closet door and peered in. No clothes. What, did the people who brought her in know that she would run away the minute she wakes up? But Tess had no reason to lie to herself. She _was_ thinking of running away. She didn't trust hospitals. They were dreaded institutions. Tess sighed just as the door opened to her room.

The short cute blonde looked at Tess with wide eyes. She was carrying some documents and a huge bag. Tess narrowed her eyes and quick flashes to an engagement party and a heart to heart in a tall building with no lights, made her recognize the girl.

"Chloe?" she asked.

"Tess, what are you doing NOT resting on your bed?" Chloe started and quickly closed the door.

Tess watched as Chloe Sullivan locked the door and looked around suspiciously, closing the blinds after peering through them. Tess watched clueless, leaning against the wall. Finally, with all entries and exists blocked, she looked at the camera in the far right corner of the room. Tess watched intrigued as Chloe got an iPad and typed furiously. She set it upon a table at the far right corner and sighed.

"Okay, so I've gat all the blinds closed, the radio signals will tap into the camera, blocking the live feeds from this room, and so, they won't be able to hear into our conversation" Chloe said, keeping her bag at the bed side.

She pulled out some baked tarts and offered them to Tess, saying 'Some of Mrs. Kent's finest blueberry tarts'. Tess shook her head. Chloe sat on the bed and pulled out a file, giving it to Tess.

"What is it?" asked Tess, taking the file.

"Everything you want to know about Lex Luthor" Chloe said, taking a big bite from her tart.

The bloody knife flashed through Tess's mind, as she grasped the edge of the bed with the weight of the memory. Chloe was on her feet, aiding the red head back to her bed.

"Tess, are you alright?" she asked, concern, though a bit edgy, dripping in her voice, "Clark was right. You are weak now"

"Clark….." Tess murmured, as a flash of red and blue overthrew in her mind, "Kent. Clark Kent. Where is he? Is he okay?"

"Yep, he's out there saving the world" Chloe said, pointedly looking outside the window.

"And Lois?" Tess asked, her memories were starting to fall into place now.

"Are you okay, Tess?" asked Chloe, frowning, "Lois was never your strong point of concern. But yes, she's doing fine too, working her ass off stories about the Blur. And before you ask, Ollie is doing fine too"

Oliver Queen, her ex, who is married to Chloe now. Tess shook her head, she was missing someone. And the name Lex Luthor….. She looked back at the file, and started to turn the pages.

"Why did you give me this?" asked Tess.

"Well, I thought that you'd ought to get some information about your enemy before attacking him, right?" said Chloe.

Enemy. Lex Luthor. Attack. Now all the pieces fell in place. That night, Lex had told her about her origins. She wasn't an orphan who was left at an all girls school, and was trained to be cold and distant. No. she was Lionel Luthor's long lost daughter, Lutessa Luthor. She was Lex's sister. Half-sister, more accurately. Lex said that he doesn't want her to become the next Lex Luthor, and that's why he was taking her pain. He had stabbed her. Her own brother, the one who she had spent most of her adult years trying to get him back, trying to protect him. He had stabbed her and watched her bleed to death.

"Tess?" Chloe's voice brought her back.

"Yeah…. Yeah. Thanks" Tess was distant.

"I don't think you are strong to take over Luthor, Tess" Chloe said.

"I…" she took a deep breath, "for all the things Lex had done, he deserves to die, slowly. He deserves a painful death. And I am the one to do it"

"Why?" asked Chloe.

"Because….. because I loved him….. like a brother. And he ruined me, over and over again. Chloe, he wanted to kill me. He said that-"

"What did he say, Tess?" asked Chloe

Tess was deep in the memories. Her brother killed her. Her brother. Tess was having a headache by now.

"I want some rest, Chloe" she said and Chloe nodded.

"Okay, whenever you are ready, just give me a call"

Tess nodded. She fell back on the bed and watched Chloe go, through slit eyes. Just as she walked out the door, Tess jumped from the bed, and ignoring the stabbing pain in her stomach, she leaned down and opened the bag. Clothes, finally.

In ten minutes, Tess was dressed in jeans, a black jacket and a grey T-shirt. She wore the black boots and put on a monkey cap, to hide her red hair. She looked inside to find her wallet, and pocketed her cell phone. Then she grabbed the bag and slowly walked to the door.

It's now or never, she said to herself. She slowly unlatched the door and looked outside. People, doctors, nurses and patients were walking everywhere. It was busy. With her head low, she mixed into the patients and the visitors and slipped through the reception.

"Hey, wait a minute!"

Tess froze. Her hands were balled into fists. Her head still low, she stood still, until a guy came in front of her. She slowly rose her head and inspected the guy. He looked like he was in his early twenties. He was in a black suit and a black bag strapped across his chest. He had a smiling face as well. With dark hair and sea green eyes, Tess thought that he was kind of cute.

"You look awfully a lot like the Luthor heiress, Tess Mercer" he said.

"Yes" Tess replied, faking a bubbly tone thatahe hoped would annoy the guy, "Isn't that so? A lot of people say that to me. But believe me, I can never be her. She's so pretty and rich"

"Oh, from everything I've heard, she's a heinous bitch" the guy said.

Tess flexed her fists and smiled thinly at the guy who looked across her to notice somebody else. Excusing himself, he rushed past her and then only Tess let out the breath she'd been unconsciously holding. A heinous bitch? She'd show who the heinous bitch is. As Tess walked away, she thought that she escaped from a hard situation. Judging from the guy's quick detecting, she knew that he was a journalist. Oh, how she hated journalists. Still eyes down, she escaped the hospital.

**AN 3: So how'd you liked it? Please comment **

***hugs*, **

**Sarah**


	2. Chapter 2: Caught

**AN 1: First of all, thank you MercyFrost and Ica013 for reviewing. This is my first fic, guys and you were so so so helpful. Thank you LOADS!**

**AN 2: I am also really sorry that I couldn't upload earlier. There was a small error in the internet connection and I did all but break my PC. So I hope you'll forgive me….. **

**AN 3: (I'll stop my babble, this is the last AN)This is Tess Chappie two. Hope not to be killed, but this takes a TessXOC, Clois and Chlollie romance *covers from rotten tomatoes hurled at me***

**Please enjoy and review!**

**Chapter Two**

When Tess came to the supermarket/mall, she paid the taxi cab and waked to an ATM machine. To stay in the shadows, paying with credit cards won't work. As she drew some money from her account, she felt suspicious and she kept looking around. People rushed to and fro, but didn't held her gaze for too long. But Tess was still a bit paranoid. It was genes, she couldn't help it. Pulling the hood over her already covered head, she walked into the mall.

She didn't know where Lex was, but Tess was going on a limb to say that he might be in the Luthor Mansion. Until she's ready and able to take revenge, overpowering him, she ought to stay in the shadows. She has to kill him, but first, she should learn to overpower him. And right now, she was weak.

She paid for some essentials and a bleach bottle, a pair of scissors, rope, dark shades and some dark clothes. The cashier joked that Tess looked like a serial killer. Oh, if only she knew. She walked outside and tried to hail a cab, when she saw a limo heading her way. It was black and very _very_ familiar. Lex Luthor, Tess said to herself. She donned on the pair of dark shades and kept her head low. She didn't want anybody to notice her, especially Lex. She walked through the crowd, hoping that nobody would notice her. She had to be very careful.

As she turned in a corner, she accidently knocked on an iron pole. Regaining her consciousness, she looked up but noticed… cotton? Tess squinted her eyes, trying to figure out _what_ was in front of her and noticed for her disgrace, Clark Kent, the man of steel.

"E-Excuse me" he stammered in his alter ego way and Tess was surprised to see that he had perfected his bumbling country boy persona. And he didn't recognize her, thankfully.

He quickly walked away, hunching down nerd-like. She smiled to herself, but quickly turned away and crossed the road. She got on a New York bus, and tried to stay unnoticed. But, luck wasn't apparently on her side, for the same reporter/detective guy sat next to her. She turned away to face the window and hoped that reporter boy would just get down from the next halt.

Meanwhile, in the Daily Planet, tall and pretty brunette, Lois Lane was busily typing away on her computer. She wanted a promotion, so bad, and she'd be dragging her under achieving fiancé all the way up with her. With a pencil tucked behind her ear, Lois smiled. Almost finished.

"Lo!" came a voice and Lois turned around to greet her baby cousin.

Chloe was looking tired and beat to the punch, and Lois didn't know why, but just looking at her cousin mad _her_ tired.

"Lo, before you tell anything, I've got big news" Chloe held up her hand, knowing all about Lois's motor mouth and smart wits.

"Ok, if by big news you mean daily planet front page, I'm all up for it, cuz" Lois said.

"Uh… Front page?" Chloe looked uncertain, but jogged to keep up as Lois ran to the paper room, "Not exactly front page, but….. Something related to …. Our team…"

Lois turned around with a stack of papers to face Chloe. She narrowed her eyes and looked at her cousin. Our team?

"Tess is alive" Chloe said

"What?" asked Lois, hardly believing her ears.

"Well from your reaction, I know very well that you-"

"Chlo!"

"-Tess is alive" Chloe repeated, "I just met her, Lo"

"Wait, I thought that Lex…."

"No, I mean, yeah, I mean…. She's alive. Apparently, I had been her emergency contact, and that's why the hospital called me, saying that an unnamed female was found on the hospital grounds, bleeding to death"

"So, that means, that Lex couldn't finish what he started…. At the hospital grounds? Who brought her there?" asked Lois.

"Well, somebody who cared for her" Chloe stated the obvious.

"But not that much" Lois said almost to herself, "Shall we call the superhero contacts? O Clarkie!" sing-songed Lois, as her fiancé, Clark Kent a.k.a The Blur, came down the stairs.

"Lois, I was… Chloe" he looked at his best friend in surprise, "What brings you here?"

"Smallville, it took you so long to come here and now you are so surprised that Chloe's here?" Lois asked, with her arms crossed against her chest.

Chloe tried hard not to laugh as Clark covered from the glare his fiancée was aiming and said in a whiny tone, "But, I super-sped"

"You've gotta watch those batteries" Lois said and Clark all but begged down at her feet in tears.

"Guys, hate to break it up" Chloe said, ignoring Clark's pleased look, "But confusing situation here"

"What's up, Chlo? Trouble in paradise?" asked Clark.

"Well, no, not this time" Chloe bit her lip, "But…"

"The world's going to end, Smallville. Lex didn't finish off something he wanted to" said Lois

Clark looked to and fro from the two cousins, wanting an explanation. The mention of Lex Luthor already had him in a dark mood.

"Clark, Tess is alive"

Tess woke up from the nightmare she had. She was sweating head-to-toe and it was still the afternoon. She swallowed the lump that had unconsciously formed in her throat and tried to lift her head. Stuck. Again. Tess turned around slowly and was met with a mass of brown hair smelling like mint.

Urgh!

The journalist guy was comfortably sleeping on her shoulder. _Her _shoulder. With two fingers, Tess tossed his head away from her shoulder, as the guy grunted and fell back to the other side, snoring lightly. Out of curiosity and boredom, Tess picked his bag and searched through the files he had. 'Billionaire Heiress, dead?', 'Tess Mercy never giving Mercy', 'Tess Mercer, the future of destruction'. Tess gasped. Who was this guy? She scanned the name below the article: Mike Fuller. Why did that name sound so familiar?

When the buss came to a stop at the halt, Tess quickly shoved the papers in the guys bag and picked up hers. She got down from the bus and started to walk towards a café. a coffee would do mighty good at this time of the day. Plus she was still a bit paranoid after the last nightmare she had.

"Hey, stop right there!" that guy's voice, "Why were you poking your nose into my articles?"

Tess froze, probably for the second time that day, for the same reason.

**AN 3: Okay, it's kinda short, but I wanted to get a spooky cliff hanging. It was there, right? The spooky effect? So, you like it? Please comment….. flames are fine as well… I am also in need of a beta, any volunteers?**

***hugs*,**

**Sarah**


	3. Chapter 3: The Chase

MercyFrost- Thank you so much for your review. And yes, Clark was right there, but because she was in disguise, so he didn't recognize her. Thank you once again, and please keep reviewing…..

**AN 2: So this is chappie three. And as you can see, new characters will be introduced. We have an OC (Mike Fuller, journalist) by now, and I'm hoping to introduce more OCs. But for now, we can have Mia Dearden a.k.a Speedy, who is 'kinda' like Oliver's little sister. Hint. Hint. For people who have watched 'Arrow', they know what I'm speaking about.**

Okay, a li'l bit of adventure here. Read, enjoy and review!

Chapter Three

_Punch. Punch. Punch. Kick. Punch. Punch. Punch. Kick. Punch. Punch. Turn and kick and-_

Thump!

"Whoa, okay Dearden. Think you are proving yourself a _little_ too much?" Oliver Queen said, as he entered the gym where his protégé was kicking a punching bag; a little impressed but also annoyed.

"I'm not trying to prove myself" Mia said, as Oliver helped her tie the punching bag again.

"Okay, then what's with the sad mood?" asked Oliver, taking a seat on a work-out machine, throwing a bottle of water towards her.

"I want to find myself"

Oliver looked lost, so Mia gave a hard smile and took a deep sip from the bottle. She closed the lid shut and gave out a sigh.

"I don't know who my parents are. I don't know if I have any siblings. I don't know whether I'm rich or poor or…."

"Mia…" Oliver said softly, feeling for the young fighter.

"I just….. I want to know who I am. I want to know about my origins. Where I come from. My siblings…. What if I have a-a brother or a sister that I don't know of?"

"You know what I think?" Oliver said, patting the seat next to him as Mia sat down, her head down, "I think that some things are remained to be unspoken of"

"Wow, that's a lot of big words coming out from you" Mia said dead-panning.

"Very funny, Smarty-pants"

"What about you, Oliver. Your family?" Mia asked, looking at him.

"As far as I'm concerned, Chloe, my team and you are the only family I have. Now buck up and have a shower. Chloe is coming over to take us out for dinner" Oliver said, hitting her with a towel.

"Us? You mean Chloe invited me as well?" Mia asked.

"Well, I guess that 'annoying sister of yours' might be you. Direct quote, I promise" Oliver grinned.

Mia swatted her towel at him and in no time, the two were running off to get into the shower first, bickering like siblings. Mia noted a dark flash across his eyes when she mentioned his family, but she didn't dig deep.

In New York, just been caught red handed, Tess turned around. The guy was staring at her. He squinted his eyes and had a quick smile after recognizing her.

"Hey you are the Tess Mercer look-alike. What are you doing here?" he asked walking towards her.

Tess's mind was running out of options. She couldn't face this situation right now. She contemplated on what to do. Run away, or face the problem in disguise. The guy, Mike Fuller, was getting closer and Tess had no idea how, but she was optioning on option A. She ran, amidst Fuller's yelling. She knew that he was following her, so she jumped over a fence to a junk yard. Still running, she turned around and saw him jumping over the fence as well.

_Shit!_

She ran through the junk hoping not to fall flat on her bum. She spotted a broken fridge that was kept against a cracked wall. She ran towards the fridge, got on top of it and got on to the roof. Making large noises, the roof creaked. Tess stopped short and jumped to the opposite wall just as the roof broke and fell to the ground.

_SHIT!_

Her wound was burning like hell, by now, as she stretched up and grabbed the wall. She looked back, there was no sign of the guy. She sighed, but knew that if he'd been following her for so long, he would not give up. She jumped over the wall, landing in sand. She picked up the bag she had in her possession and kept running. She turned around and saw Mike Fuller once again. Why was he following her? And why did she start running?

She jumped over the fence again, and came to an end of the street. Where to now? She hid behind a light pole, and told herself to keep the breathing steady.

_Slow breaths, slow breaths, Tess._

She stopped breathing altogether as she saw Fuller come and stop directly where she was, but he didn't see her. He breathed deeply and continued to run, and Tess started breathing again.

It was night-time when she finally found a motel, where she could get some rest. She was on the run, and she knew that sooner or later, she's got to tell the guys where she is, and what she's doing. But right now, she'd ought to be a secret.

She walked into her room, holding her stomach. It was burning. She locked the door with one hand and dropped the bag on the floor.

"Crap…." She said to herself as she took off her jacket and her now dirty grey blouse. Her wounds were bloody. She could make out the outline of the stab wound and felt chills crawl up her spine.

She bandaged her stomach after soaking a cloth with water. It was painful, but she had no other choice. She put on her grey blouse again and walked to the window. She peered through it. Nobody around. She was safe. The next day, she's got to get a gun and some weapons. And for that, she'd got to go back to the Luthor mansion.

Tess sighed just when her cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Tess? It's Clark"

Tess breathed in hard. They will find her. She's got to block them.

"Hey Clark, what's up?"

"Where are you, Tess?"

"Look Clark, I don't want to be found okay, please just leave me alone" Tess said in a tired voice.

"Tess…" Clark warned, but was met with the click of the phone.

Lois and Chloe were watching him, wanting an explanation, as Clark shook his head.

"She doesn't want to be found" Clark said and Chloe sighed.

"Didn't your spidery senses pick up any noises, Smallville?" Lois asked.

Clark shook his head no. Chloe looked down sad and Clark sighed, defeated.

"Well we can try her GPS, right Chlo?" Lois asked trying to find a silver lining in the dark cloud.

"This is Tess we are talking about, Lo. That girl might've probably travelled to India by now"

"She's in revenge mood, Chloe" Clark said, "We've got to find her"

Lex Luthor was seated in his office, running a finger on his wine glass, when his new assistant, Phillip arrived. Phillip looked at the black-clad bald young man. He was bitter, manipulative and always angry. But then why does Lana Lang, the beauty that Phillip fell for on first sight, still stay with him? There should be a bigger untold story.

Clearing his throat, Phillip walked towards Luthor. Whatever his intentions and designs for Ms. Lang maybe, Phillip was loyal. He was a good man, or so his mama used to say.

"Mr. Luthor" he addressed Lex, "The Governor has arranged a visit to his pent house. He said he has business to talk with you"

"Did he say what business?" asked Lex, without looking up.

"Presidential Candidate" Phillip said.

Lex nodded ever so slowly, and dismissed his assistant. The only moment he raised his gaze is when Lana Lang trudged in, a paper in her hand. He didn't like the way she was dressed; street clothes – jeans, a baby blue top, hair down and brown suede boots. She walked up to him and slammed the paper on his desk.

"What, is this?" she demanded in a bitter tone.

Lex looked down. It was the 'Inquisitor' paper, where in huge bold letters 'Luthor playboy, back again! What will his wife say?' was written. There was a picture of Lex gambling, surrounded by scantily clad pretty girls. One such girl was blowing on his dice, and Lex was laughing.

"I have a pretty smile, don't I?" Lex asked, amused.

"What are you, three?" asked Lana, arms crossed, "Do you even _know_ what shit they have told about me? They say that I go sleeping around as well, like my husband. Do you understand what that means to my image?"

"Don't' forget the image you have is because of me" Lex said, "And what does it matter, anyway?"

"If you keep up with your dirty work, I'd want a divorce, Lex" she said, disappointed.

Lex was up and almost on her at this remark. He grabbed her chin fiercely, forcing her to look at him. He scanned her features with narrowed eyes, as Lana struggled. There was a meek silence before Lex spoke.

"Don't you dare say those words to me, you hear me?" he said, "Is this about Clark? Are you still pinning after your high school lover? I've got news flash for you, Lana, Clark doesn't love you anymore. He's got a reporter woman to do all his work. And if it's any consolation, I don't think he _ever_ loved you"

Lana struggled and broke free. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears. She backed away, shaking her head. If it was sadness or anger, one couldn't tell.

"You are still how you used to be. I am your wife, Lex. Can't you trust me? This has nothing to do with Clark or my past" her voice was shaking with anger, "This is about you, and your playboy tendencies resurfacing"

"If you loved me, you'd never run back to the arms of that country boy" Les said.

"If _you_ loved _me_, you'd never go back to gambling. Lex, think about it a minute. You already lost your humanity. Do you want to lose me too?"

Lana walked away leaving Lex staring after her. He sank back to his chair with his head down. The Governor or Lana? The Governor or Lana? He picked up his phone.

"Phillip, get the limo ready. We are going to meet the Governor"

AN 3: So the adventure begins. We come across Mia Dearden and Lex Luthor as well. And for everybody who is curious about the new OC, you'll get his view as well, al in the next chapter. Please review, cookies to everybody who does…. :D

*hugs*,

Sarah


	4. Chapter 4: Nightmares and Family

**MercyFrost- Thank you once again for your kind comments. And can I say, me too? I adore Mia and her acquaintance with Oliver, they had something like a sibling relationship right? Yeah Tess and Lana, now that's something we SHOULD see….. hehe… Yep, I didn't like Lana either, she had a b*tchyness that words couldn't say, right? And I hope to give Lana what she deserves, a good, realistic and happy ending. No matter how b*tchy she'd been, Lana and Clark had gone through a lot, and she absolutely deserves a break. At least from Lex. Thank you!**

**Ica013- Thank you very much! Yes, I like to give the inspiration that Tess had good friends until the end and Chloe is just the start. I guess you understood that the heart to heart in a darkened room meant about the conversation they had when the power went out in the Hero HQs. And thank you about that suggestion. I actually forgot about that. I will do what you said, thanks. And Lex and Lana, who knew, right? Hehe….. actually it was implied in the show… anyhow, I hope to bring good aspects in Lana. I hope you'll like my new OC as well, I do.**

**Dana- Thank you very much! Please keep reading and reviewing**

**Guest- Thank you very much! Please keep reading and reviewing**

**AN 2: Chapter four here we are. So the nod at 'Arrow' is Thea Dearden Queen, who in 'Arrow' is Oliver Queen's little sister. Since in 'Smallville' there is a Mia Dearden, I guess you understand how I'm gonna construct Mia's character. Yep, like Ollie's sister. No newer OCs here, just some joining sub characters. I hope you'll like all perfect Ted Crane. I like him!**

**Starting fun and a lot of adventure to other characters. Please read and review! **

**Chapter Four**

Tess woke up from a nightmare again. It was the same as ever. Lex stabbing her in the stomach. She knew what the reason was, but still she couldn't stop sweating bullets. She was panting furiously by now and had no idea why she was still so scared. She was safe and away from danger, yet why did she keep thinking that there might be something more looping in the dark? She wiped away the sweat that was pooling along her eyebrows and sat on the bed. Her stomach was still hurting and Tess couldn't do anything much about it. She started to get up just as she heard noises from outside her room.

Tess was still as paranoid as she used to be and so she grabbed her boots and put them on hurriedly. She packed her bag with the supplies she bought before and scanned the place for more evidence of her being there.

She opened the window and looked outside. She was on a top floor of the dingy building, and so strapping her bag around her shoulder, she jumped outside, creeping along the roofs, lying low. She passed a couple of people and so she bent low, shutting her eyes tight at the pain in her stomach. At a corner, she jumped off the roof, falling down. The pain was too much and all Tess could do was pass out.

Meanwhile in the 'Inquisitor' office, Twenty eight year old Mike Fuller was tapping a pen on his teeth, getting awkward glances from his best friend and partner, Ted Crane, who was sitting in front of him. Ted, being the perfectionist as always, cleared his throat, and nodded at Mike's coffee mug. This still didn't bring the scatter brained reporter to earth.

"Mike!" Ted all but yelled.

"Aw, shit!"

Mike jumped and spilled his coffee on his white shirt. He gave a disapproving glance at his best friend who was suddenly much more immersed in the article he was typing. Carelessly, Mike grabbed a paper from his partner's desk and started mopping his shirt. He stopped to look at the article and his eyes grew wide.

"You!" he yelled, and the busy office stopped their work and looked at Mike, who was pointing his coffee stained article at Ted, "It's you?"

"I'm what?"

"Oh….. Clever, very clever, Teddy. Amelia will _get_ to know this from me" Mike said in an accusing tone.

"Not my wife….. and should I spell it out to you?" Ted asked, annoyed, "I. Am. What?"

"Writing articles against Lex Luthor, what are you trying to get? Fired, perhaps? Or strangled in a lone island?"

"I don't even want to know where you got those fantasies from"

"'Charmed', but that's not the point" Mike said, inducing Ted to widen his eyes, "Why are you trying to flip off the editor?"

"What are you now then? Watching 'Charmed'? You are such a momma's boy. What, do you watch chick flicks eating chocolate ice cream now?" Ted teased

"Why are you being a pain, man?" Mike asked.

"What?" Ted said back, "Like you haven't been a good ole pain in _his_ ass by now, writing about Tess Mercer"

Mike rolled his eyes and leaned back. It was a known fact in the office that Ted Crane was totally in love with the red-haired heiress. As Mike put his legs up on the desk behind him, the guy on that desk protested but didn't hear anything from it. It was also a known fact that Mike Fuller wasn't someone to mess around with. He's annoying, he's irritating, he's aggravating, but he got his facts straight. He was very ambitious.

"She's a bitch, dork. And you should be knowing it by now. Lex Luthor is a much more valuable person in this field."

"Lex Luthor is an anti-heroic person who deserves to die" Ted stated.

"Ok, fine, I don't like his rage against the Blur either, but that doesn't mean the man's stupid" Mike said.

"Do we really have to talk about this, Mike?" Ted asked, shaking his head.

"Yes"

"No"

"Yes"

"No- This is stupid. I'm going to get a coffee" Ted said, standing up and grabbing his mug, "You coming?"

"Nah" Mike let his legs fall down and opened up a new word page, "I have a document to print"

"More about Tess Mercer? She's dead, man. Let her rest in peace" Ted said, not noticing Mike's sudden froze.

"I don't think she is… I think she is very very _very_ alive" he said to himself, starting to type.

A black Lamborghini stopped in a dark and dingy street. The driver shut the doors while still inside and killed the lights, with the engine still running. There were drug dealers all around and Mia Dearden really didn't want to dirty her hands now. Yep, she fought well. Actually, she was a cage fighter. Nobody could be better than a cage fighter. Well except Oliver Queen, maybe. It was a huge surprise for Mia that day, when the drunk millionaire playboy turned out to be the wealthy people's biggest enemy, Green Arrow. She really hadn't seen that coming. She looked around her and waited till the street became deserted. Then she opened the door of Ollie's Lamborghini and crept along the streets. She was dressed street-smart; grey t-shirt, checked black and white over shirt, dark blue denim trouser and heel-less black boots. Her dark brown hair was pulled up in a pony tail. She walked along the streets, her fists curling to balls whenever she heard a sound.

At the end of the street, she saw it. 'Tennyson Home For Children' it said in huge black letters that had faded due to time. She breathed in deeply and walked towards it. That was until she heard a sound. Groaning. She heard an 'Ow!' in the distance and stopped. Blood. On the streets, there was blood. Lots and lots of it. She walked along the trail and came to a stop. There was a distant figure, trying to stand up. Mia stood motionless. Her common sense was telling her to run, but she couldn't move her feet. The figure came into her POV now, and Mia could make out the outline. A dark shape, but she was sure that she could see red. Not the blood….

"Who…. Who-who are y-you?" the voice came in a gasp cutting tone.

That's when Mia saw exactly. It was a red haired girl with blood on her stomach.

**AN 3: Face off. Haha… there's a cliff hanging you'd never expect. Anybody know who the red haired girl with blood on her stomach is? I know, I know, you are not pre-schoolers. Hope you enjoyed. Three parts, and a mix in eventually. Review!**

***hugs*,**

**Sarah**


	5. Chapter 5: New Friends and Old Friends

Hi guys, it's me again. I am so glad you like my work and considering that this is my first fic, I cannot believe that I have eighteen reviews for four chapters! *jumps up and down with glee* So, now I'd like to thank my darling reviewers for their awesome and inspiring reviews…. Thank you SOOOOOOOO much. Your time spent reviewing is much much much appreciated!

MercyFrost- That is true. Mike is frustrating and annoying. I don't think you'll like him in the start, he's very nosy and annoying. He's irritating and loves to take use from Ted. Dear ole Ted, yep, everybody likes him…. hehe….. Please keep reviewing and Thank you for your encouragement.

**BarneyStinsonFan- Thank you very much for your reviews. I am so glad that I made you love this story. This is my first fic and I cannot believe that I received this much reviews. Thank you, and please keep reviewing. Mike is irritating, right? But I really do like him. you'll see him as nosy as he could ever be in this chapter, but when Tess comes into the formula, I think you'll love him as much as I do. And pairing off Tess with Mike….. that's for me to know and you to learn….. hehe…. And no, it is not wrong to dig the new OC. Believe me, he gets better, so you'd better start liking him now itself….. I love Tess too…..**

**ThandieS- Thank you so very much. I am happy that you like it. Ted/Mike hilarity oncoming…. Yes, everybody loves Ted, Ted is lovable, and Yes, Mike is annoying, but let's see….. Yep, new OCs might be on the way…**

**S- Thanks Sweety, I appreciate your want to comment… wink. Wink. Hehe… I hope you'll enjoy this ride and please keep reviewing….. Thanks…. I know that you are a huge Chlollie fan, so here's some Chlollie to warm your heart…**

**Sarah- Thanks darl, you are a gem. Not even watching Smallville, you wanted to comment. Thanks very much. I think you'll like 'Smallville' even though I know that you are a huge VD fan….. hehe….. **** ;)**

**SassyGirl96- Yes, Lois and Clark are so cute together, right? And Chloe and Oliver are very cute together too. Though I don't have any shipping issues, I totally root for the Clois relationship. They are darn cute together. To be truthful, I used to like Chloe and Clark together in the first three seasons, but when Lois came, the chemistry between Clark and Lois was so undeniable that they SHOULD be together. I have a small issue about Oliver too. I like how Ollie was with both Tess and Chloe. So in this fic I'm rooting for Chlollie and Clois, and Tess was meant to be alone….. right? Dunno, keep reading, then you'll know for sure!**

**AN 1: Here is chapter five. Now the characters start mixing with each other. There's fights and kisses, hilarity ensues. I hope I am portraying Tess in the correct way. Please let me know if any character of mine is different from the canon series, alright? Visitors, lurkers, please review. Reviews make me happy. And you will get virtual cookies… **

AN 2: So there are three parts in this installment,

Mike Fuller

Tess Mercer and Mia Dearden

Oliver Queen and Chloe Sullivan

AN 3: Angst start for Tess. Please read and review!

AN 4: (I'm stopping, I'm stopping, I know…..)Disclaimer: I don't own 'Smallville'. If I did, there will be a eleventh season, and Tess would've survived. So, no, I don't own it. I just take the characters, play with them and keep them in their places once again.

Chapter Five

Mike Fuller grabbed his coffee and took a sip and winced. It was ice cold. He looked over at his partner who was busily tapping off on his keyboard and frowned.

"Hot Coffee, Crow" Mike said, raising his mug to prove his point, "I said hot coffee. This is ice cold"

"You should've drunk it while it was warm, Fuller" Ted said without raising his eyes, "And please stop calling me birds' names"

"Get me a good coffee, Crane, then I'll stop. But then your parents should've thought before naming you 'Crane', oh, but wait, was your dad Peacock and your mum Parrot? Hmm, your little sister might be a ferret. No, she's Crane, 'cause you are definitely a dork" Mike was smiling like he'd won a lottery.

"You are…." Ted started, picking up Mike's mug with a hard annoyed expression, "a jerk"

"That, all you can do?" Mike teased, twirling the baseball cap on his head, and smiling widely.

"Urgh!" Ted exclaimed and walked away.

Mike watched his partner walk away and quickly ran to the other side. He looked at the article Ted had been typing; it was about Lex Luthor's possible presidential candidate selection. He read the document and picked up some notes that Ted had stuck to his computer screen. He was going to take over the case. He'd better do so, if he wanted a promotion.

Minutes later, Mike was walking outside with his bag strapped across his chest, sipping a coffee and smiling happily. He took his phone and looked over the contact list on Ted's note. Clark Kent, Chloe Sullivan and Tess Mercer.

_Wait a minute, so Tess was really alive?_

He punched in the first contact, and stood for an answer.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Kent? Clark Kent?" asked Mike

"Speaking?"

"Hello, my name is Mike Fuller, I'm from the Inquisitor…"

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Tess Mercer saw the girl vaguely, but she could work out the checked shirt, dark denim and dark hair. Tess tried standing up and almost slipped. The girl stood frozen, not moving an inch.

"Who are you?" Tess asked again.

_Friend or foe? Friend or foe? Better stay in alert._

Tess stood up, shaking a bit, and did the only thing she could and trusted. She walked towards the girl, who slipped up and attacked her. The two girls fought; teeth and nail, hardly getting a break. Slipping and slamming into each other, and though Tess was hurt, she fought back with greater capability.

Tess slammed the youngster to the ground where dust clouded them. She held the girl with the throat, as she tried to breath.

"I said who are you?" Tess said her voice hard.

The girl gave a smile that would be called weak if she hadn't tackled Tess and slammed her on her back. This time, Tess was coughing severely.

"Tess Mercer, who would've thought" the girl said as she let her go.

Tess stood up; rubbing her neck, feeling like her sound box had exploded. She coughed, and looked at the girl who had a satisfying smile on her face.

"I'm Mia Dearden, but people call me 'Speedy'" The girl said

"Dearden….." Tess thought, and looked up, "Towel girl?"

Mia sighed and rolled her eyes, annoyed.

"You know Lois Lane" she stated.

"And you do too, apparently" Tess said, as she grabbed her bag.

Mia looked at the blood that has now ceased just a little bit. Tess was swaying uncontrollably and the youngster had no idea what to do.

"I thought you died" Mia said

"I thought so too" Tess replied and when she saw that the girl looked lost, she explained, "I know that you know Oliver. Just don't tell him that you met me, alright? Nobody knows, please….."

And with that, Tess fell down, unconscious.

"Tess!" Mia yelled and came to her aide.

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Oliver was looking over from his window. The world seemed very quiet. No fires, no emergencies and his best friend hadn't called him in a long time. He was starting to get concerned. Clark always called. Whether to get help from Green Arrow or to ask for Chloe when she leaves her phone in his place. And sometimes Clark called to complain about Lois, asking if she was like this when she was dating Oliver too. And Oliver had to remind him that he was practically married to the girl, he'd have to get used to it. And there were no emergencies for a while now. Superman was jobless these days, and so was the Justice League and Green Arrow.

The door to his office opened and Chloe came in, bustling in her cute pixie haircut and dangling long earrings. Oliver smiled, as she greeted him with a kiss.

"Don't tell me" Chloe leaned back from his embrace to inspect his face as she mocked him, "The emerald archer is jobless?"

"He's missing his best friend and wife"

"Well, she's here" Chloe gave him a large smooch that had Oliver grinning like an idiot.

"Wait" she leaned back again, "Not the same person right? Wife and best friend. You're talking about Clark, right?"

"Yep, the dear founder of the JLA" Oliver said.

"_I_ am the founder of JLA, buddy, don't forget that. Clark is just the first registered member" Chloe replied.

"Potato, _potahto_" Oliver said, rolling his eyes.

"What does that mean, jackass?" Chloe said her hands on her hips.

"That I love you" Oliver gathered her in a hug, and when Chloe opened her mouth, he quickly interrupted, "And no, that wasn't rhetorical"

"That's good" she said and melted into his embrace.

She had to tell him, but then she couldn't. The whole JLA thought that Tess Mercer a.k.a Watchtower 2 was dead, well except for her, Lois and Clark. She wanted to break the good news to everybody, especially her husband who really did care for Tess, but then she also knew that a bad news will follow too. Tess was missing and she doesn't want to be found. Chloe discovered to her disappointment that Lex's file was gone as well.

"You wanna get some quality time with me?" asked Oliver leaning in and kissing her forehead.

"You bet I do" Chloe said.

Oliver grinned largely and leaned in to capture her lips again. They kissed deeply and unhurriedly. Oliver lifted her and spun her so she would be seated on his desk. Still kissing, Oliver's fingers travelled to her blouse and started undoing the buttons. Time and space might not be in their side in their love life as the door opened just then, as a black haired girl who looked very familiar entered and froze on sight.

"Oh my God, I'm sorry, I didn't … I'll just….." she started.

"Leave?" Oliver asked, annoyed at the disturbance.

"Wait! Wait" Chloe said as she pushed Oliver away from her and redid her buttons, she didn't still look up at the girl, "I was just leavi-"

That's when Chloe looked up and stared at the girl. Her eyes grew wide with recognition. It had been a very long time since she'd seen her. She looked the same. The same dark hair, the same dark grey eyes. The same embarrassed smile, and the same girl. The same friend she had. Not one bit older. The years were genuinely on her side.

"Chloe, hi" she said, in her soft speaking tone.

Chloe swallowed. Oliver was genuinely confused. He did not know the girl and Chloe didn't seem to mind the least until she saw her. Yes, the girl was pretty, but he was happily married to the girl he thought was the best for him. But when Chloe said the girl's name, all information crashed before him.

"Lana?"Chloe said, in disbelief.

AN 5: Okay, be honest. Who expected Lana to show up that quickly? Hope you are not too disappointed in the fight scene. I actually don't know how to write a fight scene. I mean, they fight, right? What more is there to it? He he… Please review. Not to disappoint Clois lovers, just remember, love is in the air….

Review!

*hugs*,

Sarah


	6. Chapter 6: Luthor

**Hey guys, I'm back! I'm sorry I took such a long time to update. I am working on another Fic called 'The Second Chance', it's a Veronica Mars fic, and people there were threatening for me to update. Also I had some busy time at the office and at class. I'm doing Law exams, so just guess the pressure. Hope I don't disappoint you by any chance in this chapter. And we get a good overall mixture of characters. Remember that even though I am a Clois lover, this fic is about Tess's revenge. So the main character is Tess. Another main character is Mia Dearden as I want to put a background story for her as well. She's finding her origins and will end up with a big surprise. I have already started with chappie seven, so don't worry, the next update will come quick.**

**Now for your reviews:**

**MercyFrost – Thank you so much for your review. I am glad that you are loving Mike. Some of his story will be said in the next chapter. Please ****keep reviewing.**

**SassyGirl96 – Thank you for your review. You are too kind. Yes, Tess is very valuable and I like how the actress is putting all her effort to make her look like the ice queen she really is. Please keep reviewing.**

**BarneyStinsonFan – I am glad that you like Mike. What can I say, he is nosy, but really interesting. You'll get to know about him in the following chapters. Please keep reviewing.**

**Guest – thank you. Enjoy this chapter and please keep reviewing.**

**Nikki Ray – Thank you and I will. You are too kind. Please enjoy this chapter and review.**

**Trish – Thank you very much. And I guess like everybody else, you are falling for Mike Fuller's charm, eh? Please enjoy this and review. I love reviews.**

**AN 1: So there are three parts in this installment,**

** Lana Lang and Chloe Sullivan, and an eavesdropper**

** Tess Mercer and Mia Dearden**

** Tess Mercer**

**Chapter Six**

"Lana?" Chloe repeated again, as the black haired girl smiled sweetly and stepped in.

Chloe jumped from the table and walked towards Lana Lang, the girl who never changed. There were many things on Chloe's mind. Anger was the main thing. How could Lana leave Clark and Chloe and all the other friends and just run away from them all. And then she expects a warm welcome from the people who she dumped. Her best friends. Well, Clark was actually much more than a best friend to Lana, but still.

"Chloe…" Lana started but hesitated.

"Hey" Oliver turned to Chloe and whispered in her ear, "What's going on? Why is Lana Lang here?"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask her?" Chloe whispered fiercely.

"Why should I? You're best friends with that girl" Oliver said.

"That's what I keep telling myself" Chloe sighed.

"Hi" Lana looked at Oliver and put out her hand, "I'm Lana Lang. I'm a friend of Chloe…"

"And Clark's, I know" Oliver said, a little bit rudely, "I'm Oliver Queen"

_This is Oliver Queen? _thought Lana. _No wonder he is a playboy. He's cute._

"Nice to meet you" Lana said, and turned to Chloe, "Hey, can I talk to you?"

"uh…. Yeah, okay… Ollie, I'll come back later, ok?" Chloe looked at Oliver and whispered, "I'm dead"

"No shit, Sherlock" Oliver whispered, dead-panning.

Chloe gave her husband a dirty look and followed the past best friend out the room. Once outside, Lana turned to Chloe and gave a mysterious smile.

"So you and Oliver Queen, eh?" she asked, "How long have this been going on?"

"Lana, we are married" Chloe said deadpanning.

"Married? Wow, I didn't expect that" Lana said and looked thoughtful.

"Lana what's going on? Why are you here?" Chloe asked, "And don't give me crap about missing your best friends, ok?"

"I really did miss you… and Clark" Lana said, almost in a whisper.

"That ship have long sailed, Lana" Chloe sighed.

She did love Lana, she really did. But Chloe knew for a fact that she loved Clark more. Clark was her first ever best friend, and she worshipped his friendship. Lana was another story. She was the pretty, innocent girl who everybody loved. Chloe wanted to hate Lana for a long time. Lana was Clark's first love, and since long time ago Chloe had had a huge crush on Clark, she wanted to hate Lana. But then, Lana was always good, and she couldn't hate her. Then Lana became one of her best friends. But when Lois, her cousin, came into the picture, Chloe knew that Clark was falling for her. Lois was a person who you did not want to mess with, and Clark proved it. They had huge chemistry where either one would want to kill the other, and Chloe enjoyed watching them. And that's how she knew that Lana didn't have a snowball's chance to renew her relationship with Clark. But Clark still loved Lana, and almost gave out his whole secret. But Lana ran away. Away from Clark, away from her, away from Smallville and away from her consciousness and now she turns up again, wanting to renew their friendship.

"Lana, look-"

"Is Tess alive?" Lana asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Is Tess alive? Some journalist called me to ask questions about her….."

"Don't tell me, Mike Fuller called you too?" asked Chloe cursing in her mind, "That little…. Look, Lana, he is just cooking up lies, ok? All journalists in 'The Inquisitor' do that, and Mike Fuller is no exception"

"Who is this Mike Fuller guy?" came another voice and Oliver appeared from behind a pillar.

"Oh God, Ollie! What on earth are you doing? Eavesdropping?" asked Chloe, her face going red.

"Who is Mike Fuller? And why does he claim that Tess is alive when she never died?"

Ok, so Oliver didn't get the 'Tess is dead' memo, but that was just so he could concentrate on the tasks on board. Chloe didn't want to see Oliver get all moody about his ex dying.

"She… she never died, did she…. Chloe?" Oliver asked, turning towards his wife, "You would tell me….. if that…. happened, wouldn't you, Chloe?"

Chloe didn't say anything. She couldn't. She had been lying through her teeth all this time about Tess being alive to Oliver and when Lana suddenly shows up and announces that Tess is alive, she didn't have any option but to tell the truth.

"Oliver…"

"She died?"

_Lana is here. Lana is here._

_But he's my husband, he should know the truth._

_Lana is here!_

Chloe took a deep breath, but Oliver interrupted.

"You two…. Talk….. I know you've got a lot to catch up with….. Then I'll …. talk with you, ok, Chloe?" and with that he was gone.

There was a pin drop silence and 'Awkward', the Penguin sat between Chloe and Lana, looking at each other's faces.

"Did I hit a nerve?" Lana asked, and Chloe glared.

This was not how it was supposed to go.

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Tess woke up as she felt somebody wiping her face with a wet cloth. 'Shh', that somebody said, and Tess relaxed back. Her whole body was tingling and she couldn't even hold up herself. She had fainted, she knew that, but still she couldn't move her body. Mia sat back and hugged her knees, looking at the tough lady who was very weak now. Tess murmured something, but then again lay silent.

She closed her eyes again and flashes of her nightmare crept through. The slash of the knife, Lex asking her to stay calm. Her head jerked sideways as she tried to leap back to reality from the nightmare she was experiencing. Mia watched silently.

"No!" Tess screamed and opened her eyes again. Her eyes were wide with fear and Mia fell backwards almost toppling from the chair.

"Jeez, man, relax. No monsters here" she said in a joking tone, and Tess turned towards her.

Tess stared at the young girl who was sitting comfortably, well, until the last moment that is. Mia Dearden, Oliver's friend, that's all she knew about that girl. Until the last moment Tess had thought that Oliver and Mia had a romantic relationship. She had to admit to herself, she had been a bit jealous. And when Tess found out that Oliver was dating Chloe… that's another story, for another time.

"What happened? What's going on? Where am i?" Tess fired.

"You fainted, but it's alright. I cleaned your wound. And you are safe, don't worry" Mia said, putting the wet cloth back to the water.

Tess sat on the bed and cringed at the pain that shot through her stomach. She looked around and saw that her things were placed in one place. She was in a room, dingy and quiet. She guessed that Mia had taken her promise of not telling Oliver about where she was. She looked at Mia. They had fought, but Mia took good care of her as well. She can't put the youngster more in trouble. And she knew that annoying reporter was on her trail too. What was his problem?

"Do you want…. Some soup, maybe?" asked Mia, "It won't take much time to cook"

Tess nodded and spoke when Mia rose to walk to the kitchen, "Hey… Thank you… for everything"

"You're welcome" Mia gave a soft smile.

Mia walked to the kitchen and took the instant soup packet, ready to prepare something for the injured lady. She was sure that her mentor, Oliver, used to love Tess. Used to, that is. Now he has Chloe, and she knew that he was sure very happy. And was she the only person who knew that Tess was dead, but came back alive? She cooked the soup quickly, not understanding why she was helping Tess. It might be because Oliver and Chloe both were quite kind to Tess. Even Lois and her fiancé- was it Clark?- were good to Tess.

She picked up the cup and walked into the room. Her eyes widened. Tess was missing. Mia looked around, her stuff was missing too. She sighed heavily.

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Tess started walking away, with her bag strapped across her back. It was getting hotter and hotter, and she took off her black shirt and tied it across her head. She put her shades on, but she was really tired now. She'd been running away from everyone and everything that she had come across. She didn't know what to do. She tried to look decent when she boarded the bus that will take her home, or more likely, Lex's home. When she came to a stop at the large Luthor mansion, she had to remind herself that she wasn't a welcome guest anymore. She didn't own the place, and her securities won't be very keen to let her in unscathed.

She hid behind the gates and looked through the many holes in it. The place was crawling with guards. They were very attentive too. She grabbed her bag tight and took off the black shirt from her head. It might capture too much attention. She stated climbing the tall wall that secured the evil fortress. At the top, she peered below and hung tight, waiting for the guards to go to their work. Two guards from the four started to walk to the entrance and Tess tried telepathically telling the remaining two guards to go somewhere else. One guard walked to the the other and drew out a cigarette.

_I've never liked smoking guards, _Tess thought, scoffing, _but right now, I do._

She crawled down the wall and to the garden. Hiding from the guards, she walked to the tunnel-like back entrance that smelled dingy. Lex had told her that whenever Lionel had gotten mad with him, he used to go to the tunnels and tell the Tunnel Gods, that he hated his father. As Tess entered, she prayed to the Tunnel Gods that she wasn't going to harm Lex, not right now. She just need the necessary items to do that job without being messy like Lex.

She walked to the sound of water coming and finally came to a dead end. What was this? Where is this going? _What am I doing here?_

"Hello?" came a voice and Tess panicked.

It didn't sound familiar at all, but she was still scared. A guard? She mashed herself against the wall, hoping that the guard would not notice. She looked and saw that the guard was indeed approaching her. What was with this? Why were people always following her? She was dead; people thought that she was dead. So what was the huge deal? She covered her own mouth to stop the panicked breathing from being caught. Just as the guard turned and walked, somebody grabbed her from behind and pulled her into another tunnel that she hadn't noticed before.

"Shh….. I'm helping you" a male voice that sounded very familiar said in her ear and Tess's eyes grew wide.

**AN 5: Okay, so anybody know who Tess's 'apprentice' is? Drop a review with a guess, take your best chances. What do you think of the action today? I thought that the story is moving too slow, so I thought to just drop a huge bombshell. Do you think that I write Tess like a pathetic old hag? Defenseless and all that? And how about the little bit of Tollie I put in there? Please keep reviewing, I just adore reviews.**

**Thank You!**

***hugs*,**

**Sarah**


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